Ignorance Is Bliss
by ThatGirlWithBigEyes
Summary: Caleb Prior's decision to leave Abnegation for Erudite is never explored. In this fic, watch his side of the story as he chooses his path... which crosses with Jeanine Matthew's daughter, Sophia.
1. Chapter 1

SOPHIA

Apart from the speaker's ums and uhs, the room is so silent that the sound of mother snapping her pencil in half vibrates around the room and we are intelligent enough to surmise that this man will soon be Factionless.

It is not required for Erudite's leader to be a panel member, but this initiate overreached himself. He chose the same topic of expertise mother happened to be the expert of, so it is only logical that she would sit as one of his panel members when he defended his research. Poor, deluded, fool. I think he believed his confidence, self-assured speaking would suffice, but mother and the other panel members could easily sniff out the fillers and the fluff in his content. Here in Erudite, charisma and charm are misleading and mean next to nothing.

I've read the history books, and I have seen human nature destroy themselves because of these trivial pursuits. Hundreds of years ago, I would have been shunned for being a female who preferred the academics – especially the sciences, which they've gendered off as a male pursuit – and would have instead been pressured to follow the societal norm of staying home to raise offspring. Even women like my mother, despite her high intelligence quotient and major accomplishments in science and politics, would be shunned simply because she did not opt a submissive role to the man who impregnated her.

That will not happen, not in Erudite, where the only thing that does matter is pursuing great levels of intelligence and using it to better the world. Not many people understand will understand that. Especially Abnegation, and time and time again I hear them talk about our thirst for knowledge as a mere vanity project and quest for greed. They do not understand, which is why, next year, the odds of me choosing Abnegation is at a strong hundred percent.

I know I am Erudite. I know it. I have yet to take the Aptitude Test, but I do strongly believe ignorance must be eradicated for peace. Everyone looks at me and says I will be the next faction leader years from now. Not because of the foolish way countries centuries ago handed leadership based on bloodlines, but because, like my mother, I show great intelligence from an early age. I, Sophia Matthews, am pure, true, Erudite.


	2. Chapter 2

CALEB

I am Erudite. I won't act like it's much of a surprise, but the Aptitude Test has given the push I had been waiting for. And tonight, this dinner has only proven even more so that I would never fit in Abnegation.

Beatrice walks beside me, her legs heavy and dragging across the stairs. I don't know what happened to her during the exam, but frankly I'd rather not know. Plausible deniability, and all that. Maybe in a fit of her Beatrice-ness, she found out there was a hidden Amity deep inside her heart and demanded a retake. Of course that would be bound to cause a bit of chaos. I've heard of the woman who created the simulations, and these tests are really meant to show you what you're meant to be.

And it's shown I am Erudite. The dog was obviously domesticated based on the collar it wore, and could be tamed like any other house pet. The math equation was like the lesson we learned in class, except with more exponents and groupings. And the puzzle about the chicken, the dog, and the fox was so simple.

I am not meant to be Abnegation, contrary to what Beatrice or anyone else thinks. To be honest, what she saw was not selflessness, it was common sense. Growing up in a community like Abnegation, it was common sense what was expected of me, and I didn't even need to think about what to do next. Give my seat up, allow others to go ahead of me, open doors, give food. It's the natural instinct ingrained in every Abnegation-born. That's not selflessness, that is adaptability, knowing what my next move is in order to cooperate in this community. That's how I see it, and that's why I don't belong here. Beatrice does. She may speak out of line and may not see it, but she tries. She genuinely tries. I don't.

I look at her and can already tell she's worried, and I know that, logically, that can only mean her test did not say she was Abnegation. Otherwise this would be a no-brainer for her. I wonder if she sees the turmoil in my mind, because I know that, by tomorrow, I will most likely be in Erudite.

"Beatrice," I call her before she can turn to her room, "we must think of our family. But… but we must also think of ourselves."

She looks at me weirdly, as though she is seeing me for the first time. I assume she's thinking how I could even think about leaving mom and dad behind to pick another faction, but of course this is the way of our society, and logically speaking, why should they be angry for letting us choose our given rights of free will?

"The tests don't have to change our choices," she says carefully.

I smile. "Don't they, though?"

~0~

SOPHIA

I am Erudite. Naturally.

"I want to congratulate you, Sophia," mother says as I enter the house. I take my blue scarf off as she gives me an affectionate pat on the head. "My sources indicate you achieved the fastest results – and the surest."

"Sources?" I tilt my head.

"I made the simulations for the Aptitude Test. There was an issue this afternoon regarding one of the examinees so I passed by to double check the calibration – nothing wrong, the girl must have been allergic to the serum – and of course, motherly affection has made me inclined to peek at your results. I'm impressed."

"Thank you, mother."

She leads me to the living room, tastefully decorated to match the glass-based aesthetic of our faction. "The exams during my age were much more… rustic, in a way, yet I got nearly the same results as you. You are much faster, and at a much more certain percent."

She turns to me with that look that gives me chills. She has perfected a look so devoid of emotion, yet there is a certain hardness to her jaw.

"It says you are Erudite. A true Erudite. Do you have any plans to defy the next logical step and choose another faction?"

I feel almost offended that she had to ask. "Of course not, mother."

She smiles. She rarely smiles. "Good," she smiles.

She gives me a soft pat on the head before turning away. "I have a meeting at Dauntless Headquarters. I've requested Marcia to serve you an early dinner so you may ponder on your decision tonight."

Marcia is our servant. She failed her Intelligence Initiation, but mother was kind enough to give her a job for a bit of financial assistance and occupies an apartment in a run-down building occupied by Factionless who have just enough money to still afford decent housing.

"You won't have dinner here?" I ask.

She does not even bother turning around. "No, it is quite an important meeting."

"Oh. Alright."

Right on cue, an Erudite car stops in front of our house.

"Good night, Sophia," she smiles at me as she opens the door. "I know that you will make the right choice tomorrow."


End file.
